


taking a flyball.

by dracoon



Category: Prison Playbook | 슬기로운 감빵생활, Stove League | 스토브리그
Genre: Gen, I'm sorry Seungsoo I can't fit you in :(, Jehyuk joins Dreams!!!! It's what he deserves, Other, everyone is surprised, or can I?, speaking things into existence I see, ugh my brain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:20:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22796959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracoon/pseuds/dracoon
Summary: A disgraced, ex-convict of a pitcher joins the "clean losers" of the Major League.Everyone braces themselves. What could've brought him to Dreams?A one-shot of our favourite stone-faced player joining up with the fictional baseball team we've all gotten invested in.
Relationships: Dreams/a lot of baseball, Kim Jehyuk/baseball
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	taking a flyball.

Beobja happily trotted behind his brother as he clutched Jehyuk's sports bag, glancing behind him occasionally before stroking his chin with his free hand as though considering things. Jehyuk continued to walk ahead and out of the stadium towards the car, remaining stony as always. 

"Are you sure you want to leave, hyung?" he asked, pouting slightly, "This team you're being traded to...they're not great, you know. Last for the _past six years_! What were they thinking? They're throwing you out like used goods. They'll regret it, I swear--" He kicked his foot out angrily, before nearly tripping over himself with the items he was carrying as Jehyuk spun around to catch him. 

At this, Beobja blushed, quickly jumping back to his feet and loading the bag into the car boot. Jehyuk remained silent for the longest time, as he'd always been when met with a problem. Eventually, they both sat together in the car, before Jehyuk himself broke the silence with a sigh. 

"I don't get a choice in the matter. Maybe the pressure of having an ex-con as a star pitcher's too much for them," Jehyuk replied, his tone resigned and soft as always, "Don't worry about me too much. You know I'll be fine, Youngcheol-ah." 

Beobja- no, _Youngcheol_ , that was his actual name, pouted even more dramatically at this. "I still can't believe it. They wooed you with that damn contract and everything and now you're just being traded out like fodder," he huffed, wrinkling his nose, "Whatever! Whatever. I'm going with you tomorrow to finalise things. I'm your _manager_ , after all." 

Jehyuk smiled for the first time since receiving the news, staring out into the night before they drove off. It would be a new day and new start tomorrow. All they had to do was focus. 

* * *

"Why?" 

Jaehee pushed the file aside and looked to his superior, seeming baffled by the gesture when she shut it. 

"What do you mean, _why_?" snarled Seyoung, already growing defensive, "Do you want to die, you punk? You want to question my decisions now?" 

Jaehee puffed his cheeks out, defiant as he glanced over to the Statistics department still burning the midnight oil, "I-I mean. I don't get it. Kim Jehyuk-seonsu has had a pretty good track record, but they said with his arm injury and his...his..." He trailed off, lowering his gaze and unable to go out when Seyoung stood up from her seat to glance over at him. 

"So? We had Seo Youngjoo-seonsu, who's plagued by injuries. We nearly sent Lim Donggyu-seonsu to prison for beating up Baek-danjangnim. What's your point? Are you doubting my judgment?" Seyoung elaborated, waving the file in her hand while Kyungtaek looked up from his work with a dramatic sigh, "We need an extra pitcher on deck, anyway. Having a healthy rotation of pitchers means we're not overworking Kang Dooki-seonsu, even if he's a fan favourite." 

"Actually," piped up a voice from the far end of the room- a low humming punctured the silence as Youngsoo rolled over with his laptop on hand before placing a hand on Jaehee's shoulder, "I've been watching some clips of Kim Jehyuk-seonsu from a 'source' online. He can pitch ambidexterously, which would be a massive wildcard for everyone expecting him to be weaker because of his injured arm. It'll complement our team fairly well because us at Dreams have started thriving on our unpredictability as a core. I'm sure he'd do well with us. I suppose the Pelicans felt heated that their own catchers couldn't keep up to have him traded to us at such a low rate." 

"Or maybe it's because he's an ex-con," Jaehee huffed, "How are we going to frame _that_? Baek-danjangnim _always_ had ideas about these things- press conferences and the like, but how would we even justify this?" 

Youngsoo shook his head, forcing a stiff smile at the mention of his brother- it was still a sore topic about his departure to keep everyone else afloat. "Hyung might not be here, but we reviewed the clips together. He actually seemed impressed by Kim Jehyuk-seonsu's flexibility despite everything. I think that's why we're at this stage of negotiations?" 

Kyungtaek flowed over now, seeing the conversation take a turn and seeming increasingly fed up. "So what if he was a felon? News reports said he was in for assault. Have him and Lim Donggyu-seonsu beat each other up on the mound if they're really trying to be uppity and annoying. We'll see how he actually is like when he comes in tomorrow, so get your stick out of your ass, chestnut head," he snapped, gently pushing Youngsoo's laptop closed when he approached the lot, "If he's really difficult, we'd just pull the rug under him or something. He won't be the first player we've gotten that acts that way and look at how far we've come. We're really letting this affect morale?" 

Jaehee lowered his head, chastised. "Noted, sir," he mumbled, wringing his hands and deflating instantly at the scolding, "We'll...we'll all meet him together, right?" 

"Mmh," Seyoung replied, casting a glance of silent thanks to her analyst colleagues, "Tomorrow afternoon. He'd come by with his manager to finalise the transfer and we'll get him settled in." 

* * *

As Seyoung headed out for the night, her phone illuminated with a message. 

_Good luck with the meeting tomorrow. I hope things work out for you lot, and I'm sure the players will be thrilled with additional firepower on board._ The tone was familiar, as professional and distant as always, but Seyoung couldn't help her heart quickening seeing his message anyway.

She smiled, typing a message back in reply before pocketing it, her cheeks burning at the thought of securing her first trade of the league. As much as she was the general manager of Dreams (and will always be, she had declared), she still found herself deferring to the man who'd taken the Dreams's office by storm and changed everyone's lives. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar hum of Youngsoo's chair as he parked next to her, glancing up with his bag in hand as he looked to her with curiosity. She fished out her car keys now, beginning to stride over before noticing him still there with her. 

"Actually...you want a lift home?" she asked, tilting her head, "I wanted to talk to your hyung, actually. I need guidance." 

"Don't we all. Everyone in Dreams wants to meet my hyung but _he_ won't meet anyone," Youngsoo's tone was sarcastic, yet non-malicious, "I was going to hitch a lift from Yoo-timjangnim, but I'm sure he doesn't mind seeing you too. You barely sat with us the last time before he shooed you like a fruit fly. Maybe something Dreams-related might finally pique his interest."

They shared a smile, before Seyoung hopped on, driving her car over to help Youngsoo in. 

* * *

Jehyuk sat on the couch of his best friend, staring blankly ahead while Joonho busied himself with the dishes. 

"You've been quiet. Nervous about tomorrow?" Joonho asked casually, scrubbing a plate before putting it aside to be rinsed, "It'll be fine. Joondol's been talking my ear off about how you'd be joining the rising stars of the Major League. They've been last for six years, but with new management they've emerged as the dark horse to win the League this time. Hell, apparently they held their own against the first-place winners--" 

"The Sabres! Yeah!" came a voice from the room interrupting them both, "They were giving the Sabres a run for their money!" 

Even then, Jehyuk still sat quietly amidst the banter, almost catatonic in a way. Joonho knew it was his method of trying to reorient himself, but it scared everyone how eerily calm he became that way. He was like a boulder at times- immovable and inflexible. Being cast out so abruptly after only two years with his retirement in sight must've been a huge blow. 

"Hey. Pull yourself together," Joonho came by with a beer in hand, and Jehyuk stiffly accepted it, "You'll do fine! Don't get so upset. Treat it as a fresh new start." 

"I'm not upset," mumbled Jehyuk, a bald-faced lie as he opened the can to start guzzling it, "Not at all." 

"Your nose grew so long it's on the ground, my dude. We've been friends a while. You getting wound up and avoiding Jehee is going to make her ask questions. Drink up, crash at my place and then set off from here tomorrow at the crack of dawn. I'll text her to say you're with me." Joonho clinked the beer can against Jehyuk's with a smile, downing it in a single mouthful and Jehyuk followed. 

"Maybe I should drink less. Don't want to go there stinking of alcohol," Jehyuk stated at last, his voice quiet but with a tinge of gratitude at his friend's unconditional support. He placed the can on the table, mentally going through all the responses in his mind before he sighed again, resigned about matters.

Beobja insisted it was a new start after getting over his indignance. He didn't had any choice but to go forth with that.

All his life he'd been rolling with the punches, anyway. This wasn't much different. 

* * *

Jaehee walked with clipboard in hand towards the meeting room, seeing only Youngsoo there as he prepared a Powerpoint presentation for his discussion. It looked strangely familiar, Jaehee mused as Youngsoo beamed it onto the screen: a black slide with white font stating "Why Should Kim Jehyuk-Seonsu Join the Dreams?" on the screen. Youngsoo put up some final stats before looking at Jaehee, mildly confused. 

"Yes?" he asked warily, and Jaehee furiously waved his hands in front of him. 

"Nothing! It just seems familiar," Jaehee admitted sheepishly, and Youngsoo nodded slowly as the rest came in. He rolled towards the side of the visualiser screen, beaming up a series of statistics and videos he'd found to support his case as the others watched, listening quietly before a knock on the door interrupted them. 

Sure enough, the lanky and tan-skinned pitcher stood before the glass doors, his face blank and pensive. Next to him was a scrawny and tousled haired man in shades, and they were both dressed immaculately in suits. Seyoung got to the door, leading them off to one of the other meeting rooms as murmurs rose from the others in the room. Jaehee seemed the most awkward about matters as people started discussing about how he looked as fierce as they thought a criminal charged with assault would be, but Youngsoo seemed unfazed by the interruption as he continued to go through his slides. 

"Youngsoo-sshi, could you give me a moment?" Kyungtaek's hand shot up from the stands as he got up from his chair, placing a hand on Youngsoo's shoulder, "We'll take five. I think this might not work out." Youngsoo searched the rest of the room and sighed, closing his laptop seeing that he'd lost everyone's attention. 

It didn't take long for Seyoung to return, trudging with her head down. Everyone bristled at their usually-cheerful general manager looking the way she did before she pushed her hair back with a hand- before she beamed, saying that the contract was done. Youngsoo beamed at this, but the others seemed as apprehensive as before. 

"Psh," Seyoung's happiness faded to annoyance, "Don't you trust me? If you do, we'll meet at the stadium soon and see who's right. They're getting settled in. The Vikings say they'd be happy to spar with us in a few days, just to help us out." She folded her arms, her tiny size already asserting she wanted no dissent in the matter, but when the others quickly began busying themselves except Youngsoo (who glanced to her apologetically in a _I tried_ motion), she deflated slightly. 

Was he really that bad a person? She couldn't help but wonder now. 

* * *

Seyoung soon found herself jogging to the locker rooms where she knew the players would be, but in her haste she'd nearly ran into one of the players: their star pitcher, Kang Dooki, whose stern face peered down upon her before giving a curt bow of respect. 

"What brings you here?" he asked gruffly, glancing to the room behind him, "Rest are out training. You told us to give Kim Jehyuk-seonsu a fine welcome. We're doing that right now." 

"Yeah, about that," Seyoung forced a stiff smile as they began walking, "I think the rest aren't on board yet with him. They seem worried he'd lash out or something because of his criminal record." 

Dooki blinked, the heavyset man's gaze fading to one of utter incomprehension as he slid his hands into his pockets. "Ms Lee, he's one of the most well-respected pitchers in the country," he stated plainly, "I've played against him when I was a part of the Vikings. People couldn't keep up, and _I_ struggled to match his energy. Did you know why he went to prison?" 

At Seyoung shaking her head, Dooki gave a gentle smile and nudged his head forward towards the path that led out to the stadium. "He was protecting his sister. She was getting assaulted. We respect him for that- if my wife was in the same shoes, I'd probably do the same too," he replied without waiting for her answer, "Maybe there's something up with the management, but know that I trust him. Donggyu-sshi and the others do too." 

Seyoung sniffled at this, but gave a firm nod. "Thank you for trusting me," she eked out, watching Dooki move ahead of her to take off his jacket and start barking orders to the others to fall in and greet her, "I just..." 

She was interrupted from her emotional moment by a shout from Seo Youngjoo- how long had it been since she'd missed him by hurling a glass at his face for being rude to her? The plump catcher jogged towards her, pointing out Jehyuk effortlessly hurling balls with both hands while someone else visibly grunted from the force of each throw. 

"Wouldja look at that," he scoffed, lowering his glove and scratching his neck but not meeting Seyoung's eyes while they spoke, "If you ask me, he's a beast. A year to retirement? Jokes. Nobody can kick their feet up when they're in top form like he is." 

"Mmm." She nodded, noticing how everything seemed to match up- Jehyuk's lanky frame seemed amplified by the long shadow he'd cast across the field, and he hurled another fast ball towards the catcher with deadly accuracy, "I think...I just hope I did it right." 


End file.
